2006 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
CLOSING NIGHT AWARDS CEREMONY AND FILM

February 12, 2006
Arlington Theatre

6:30pm Closing Night Awards Ceremony
7:30pm Film:  Thank You For Smoking

sponsored by:

Concluding the 21st Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Thank You For Smoking
is the first feature film for 28 year-old writer-director Jason Reitman. In this slick, tongue-in-cheek story, adapted from Christopher Buckley’s popular novel, Aaron Eckhart (In the Company of Men) plays a smooth-operating tobacco lobbyist who enjoys talking circles around sanctimonious anti-smoking zealots. His only real qualm with employment in an industry that kills millions is in trying to remain laudable for his young son, Joey. But, the money he makes and the smug satisfaction he derives from convincing people of the health benefits of smoking makes it all as digestible as pulling a drag from a menthol grit. 

 In addition to Eckhart’s appropriately glib performance, the film is made all the richer with appearances by its all-star supporting cast: Maria Bello and David Koechner make full use zippy dialog; Sam Elliot plays the original Marlboro Man, dying of cancer; William H. Macy is a dogmatic Democratic Senator; Robert Duvall slides easily into the role of a mint-julep sipping Southern man; and, Rob Lowe steals the spotlight in his few scenes as a new age Hollywood movie agent.